The Golden Temple in Amritsar, better known as the Harmandir Sahib, is the grandiose central temple of Sikhism in India, built between 1585 and 1604. It received the name "Golden Temple" for its exterior decoration - the facade of the building is completely covered with gold.
The Golden Temple is located in the southern part of the Indian city of Amritsar, in the center of the reservoir, which was dug out in 1577 by the fourth Sikh guru, Guru Ram Das. Not only for the believing siddhi, but for all the righteous, this place is rightfully considered a shrine. It houses the original copy of the Guru Granth Sahib from 1604, the sacred text of the Sikhs. You can get to the Harmandir Sahib through a marble bridge, which symbolizes the separation of believers from sinners.
You can visit the Golden Temple all day, it closes only at night.
Checkpoint Wagah Border
Wagah Border is located 30 kilometers from the city and is the only checkpoint on the border of India with Pakistan. The border at Wagah Border is often referred to as " berlin wall Asia".
Here every evening passes solemn ceremony lowering the state flags of the two countries, which is more like a show than a daily ritual.
The ceremony called "lowering the flags" has been held since 1959 and attracts hundreds of spectators from both countries. The troops of each country participate in uniforms and colorful turbans, which makes the show more colorful. This is a very interesting sight, which is worthy of the attention of many travelers.
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Golden Palace in Amritsar
This palace, also called Harmandir Sahibbyl, was built by the Sikh guru Arjun Ji in the early 17th century. Every year, thousands of pilgrims come to this sanctuary to observe the ritual and honor the blessed memory of the spiritual mentors of the Sikhs.
The waters of the lake around the temple are considered sacred and also attract numerous pilgrims.
As a rule, the gates of the palace are always open for everyone who wants to visit it - all you need to do is show your respect for the temple by simply covering your head with a scarf and taking off your shoes. Architecture interior spaces temple is striking in its beauty and magic, here you can relax in the refreshing shade of an ancient tree, you can plunge into sacred waters. In addition, you can watch people who cook the dish "dal mahani" - traditional for the Punjab region.
But most importantly, going to see the Golden Palace, located in the city of Amritsar, most likely, you will be able to avoid the noisy crowd of tourists, because this unique attraction is not in excessive demand in various guidebooks.
Harmandir Sahib (Darbarasahib or Golden Temple) is one of the oldest and revered temples in India. For its decoration with gold plates, the temple was called Golden. This temple is considered one of the oldest and most sacred in India - the time of its construction is 1589.
Most of the gold plates that today decorate the temple and thanks to which the building gives the impression of being made of a single piece of gold, the temple was finished in the early and first half of the 19th century, when, under the patronage of the Maharaja of the Sikh Empire in Punjab, Emperor Ranjit Singh, decorative works were made on decorating the sacred complex with gold and marble.
The Golden Temple stands in the center of an artificial lake, and the road to it lies along a narrow marble bridge - before it was believed that only the righteous could enter the sanctuary, and the path through the lake was equated to the purification of the soul. The road over the bridge symbolizes the path from the sinner to the righteous. The temple is symbolically open for entry from four sides, from all corners of the world. Thus, gurvarda is accessible to all nationalities and faiths.
Hypermarket Alfa One
Alfa one is a shopping center located in India in the city of Amristar. It impresses with its impressive size and interior. The total area is 2 million square feet. It houses 170 shops offering brands from local and international designers. There are also a large number of restaurants where you can taste dishes for every taste, but local cuisine is very popular.
Tourists can visit cinemas and enjoy the excellent quality of films in 4d and 5d format. Children can spend time in the games room.
Nearby is a bazaar with more than 51 shops selling handicrafts.
The Alfa one shopping center has many escalators and elevators that make it easier for customers to move around.
There is also convenient parking for cars.
Garden of Stones
Rock garden in Punjab is one of the most important attractions of Punjab.
This world-famous 64-acre garden is nestled in the middle of extensive woodlands. The garden is an open-air art exhibition. The exhibits in the garden are made from stones, as well as from waste and other unnecessary items. Human imagination will find use even for unnecessary glass bracelets, damaged porcelain, fluorescent lamps and other things that are no longer suitable for performing their direct functions. The open-air sculptures that separate the falls make the place look like a theater with fabulous performances and show.
The original concept for the garden was developed by Nek Chand, an inspector in the Chandigarh Roads Department. When he traveled through the Shivalik mountains, he picked up irregularly shaped stones there, reminiscent of birds, monkeys, animals, people, which he later brought to his house on the bank of a stream. For seven years, he collected stones in order to later surprise everyone with extraordinary sculptural works.
The most popular attractions in Punjab with descriptions and photos for every taste. Choose the best places to visit the famous places of Punjab on our website.
Punjab state in northwestern India. In Persian, the name Punjab means "five rivers". These are the rivers Beas, Ravi, Sutlej, Chenab and Jhelum.
State capital city Chandigarh, which is also the capital of Haryana and is located outside the state (near its eastern border). Punjab is bordered by Pakistan to the west, Jammu and Kashmir to the north, Himachal Pradesh to the northeast, Haryana to the southeast, and Rajasthan to the southwest.
The largest cities in the state are Amritsar, Patiala, Ludhiana, Jalandhar and Mohali. Prior to the division of India after independence in 1947, Punjab included the territories of the modern state of Punjab in Pakistan. In 1966, the Indian Punjab was divided again - southeastern part formed the state of Haryana, and part of the northeastern territories went to Himachal Pradesh.
State of Punjab called the granary of India, because 25% of all wheat in the country, 14% of cotton and 9% of rice are grown here. Ludhiana produces 90% of India's woolen products. Economically, Punjab is one of the most developed states in India with a low poverty rate. Literacy in the state is about 70%, which is slightly above the Indian average. Sikhs make up the largest Indian diaspora in the west, which also influences the development of the state towards Westernization and globalization, with all the advantages and disadvantages of these models.
The main attractions of the state, including the Golden Temple in Amritsar, are associated with the religion of Sikhism, which originated in Punjab in the 15th century and is followed by 60% of those living in the state.
Amritsar- the sacred city of the Sikhs, was founded in the 16th century by the fourth Sikh guru - Ram Das. The name of the city means "Lake of Amrita" (Amrita is a drink that grants immortality). The main attraction of Amritsar is the Golden Temple or Darbar Sahib, whose architecture is an amazing harmony of Muslim and Indian styles. This temple is considered one of the best examples of architectural art in the world. Its four amazingly beautiful doors open to the East, North, West and South. The temple is made of marble, bronze and gold leaf. It took 100 kg of gold to cover the dome alone. This impressive Golden Temple stands at the center of Amrit Sarovar Lake, whose waters are considered sacred. Here, the sacred book of the Sikhs "Guru Grand Sahib" is carefully kept, which is read continuously. One of the attractions of Amritsar is the tower of Baba Atal, built in 1784 in memory of Atal Rai, the son of the sixth Sik guru Har Gobind.
Sri Durgiana Temple(Silver Temple) - This temple, built in the 16th century, very similar to the Darbar Sahib, is a place of worship for the goddess Durga, and it received its second name thanks to the carved silver doors.
Punjab Description
Another significant contribution of the Punjab to Indian culture is quite diverse and very popular throughout India. Punjabi cuisine.
The main transport hub and main city of Punjab is Amritsar, which is connected to the rest of India and abroad by air. Amritsar can also be reached by train and bus from Delhi, Chandigarh, the neighboring states of Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Haryana and Rajasthan, as well as from many major cities in North India. Another important transport hub of Punjab is Pathankot.
State of Punjab, with its favorable natural conditions and active population, is considered the land of rivers, fertile soils and outstanding achievements. This state, characterized by an inimitable ability to successfully realize any potential opportunity, was the first to use agricultural technologies to lead the Green Revolution and showed the highest growth rates in the field of food production. From a minor producer, Punjab has evolved into a leading rice-growing state. During Operation Flood, the Punjab showed the highest per capita milk production rates, giving impetus to the White Revolution.
As with the rest of the lowland North India, the best months to visit Punjab are October-November and February-March. In December-January it can be cool (up to 0 degrees). This can be uncomfortable, given that there is no central heating in the Punjab and the dwellings are in no way adapted for the cold. From April to June, the hot season lasts (up to +50 in the shade), and from July to September, the rainy season, when humidity is added to the heat.
Festivals of Punjab:
February: Rural Sports Festival- a three-day festival in the city of Kila Raipur near Ludhiana with bullock racing and other village competitions and amusements
Basant Festival- cultural festival in Patiala, folk songs, dances, competitions and flying kites
March: Holla Mohalla Frstival- a religious festival in Anandpur Sahib in honor of the founding of the Khalsa Sikh Brotherhood
April: Baisakhi Festival- Sikh New Year and harvest festival and throughout the state, festive processions to the beat of drums
September: Shaikh Farid Aagman Purb Festival- a religious holiday in honor of a Sufi saint in the city of Faridkot in the western Punjab
December: Harballah Sangit Sammelan Festival- Music festival of classical music in the city of Jalandhar in the north of Punjab
Source: www.indostan.ru
Official name: the State of Punjub/State of Punjab.
Capital: Chandigarh / Chandigarh / Union Territory of Chandigarh.
Total state area: 50,362 sq. kilometers.
Languages: Punjabi is the official language in the state. Many residents also speak Bihari, Urdu, Hindi, and of course English. Although most often English speakers can only be found in big cities and popular tourist routes.
Best time to visit: Experienced experts advise the period from October to March. Because from April to June, dry and incredibly hot summer dominates in Punjab. The temperature rises to 40 and above Celsius, and after that comes the long monsoon season, which lasts approximately until the end of August-September. While in winter the temperature drops to + 5-15 degrees, the indicators can drop to zero, sometimes to a minus mark.
Punjab state map:
Brief overview, history and culture of the state of Punjab:
Punjab is a small state on the northwestern border of India, which is located from the southeast between Haryana, from the southwest - Rajasthan, from the northeast - Himachal Pradesh, from the north - Jammu and Kashmir, and finally - from the northwest borders with Pakistan.
The state takes its name from one of the provinces in India when it was part of the British crown. Then it included the lands of a significant part of Himachal Pradesh, modern Haryana, Chandigarh, Punjab, Delhi, and even the Pakistani province of Punjab. This word is grateful to its origin to Persia and the five rivers that permeate the entire region today, today the translation sounds something like this "Land of Five Waters". All five rivers, named Beas, Jhelum, Ravi, Sutlej and Chenab, are tributaries of the Indus, and the place of their common confluence is approximately the southwestern border of the ancient province of Punjab.
The history of the province takes us back to ancient times, described in the ancient Indian Mahabharata. The name Panchanada is the name of the lands of the Punjab interfluve between 6000 and 500 BC, respectively. Already in the Bronze Age, the Indus Valley Civilization flourished throughout the western part of the local fertile plains, somewhere from 3300 to 1300 BC. e. It is this Civilization that leaves a memory of itself with such historical and architectural monuments, for example, as Harrapa, a city that is located in modern Pakistan.
The beginning of the arrival of various ancient Aryan tribes is roughly dated between 2000 and ending 1700 BC. BC. It was then that the lands of Hindustan experienced both the birth and flourishing of the famous Vedic Civilization, which stretched for a length approximately along the entire Indus River.
In addition, Punjab is part of many great ancient empires such as Gandhara, Gupta, Gurjara-Pratihara, Kushana, Maurya, Mahajanapada, Nanda, Pala, Sunga and Shahiya. These territories once prospered, and their trading cities, such as Ludhiana, Taxila and Jalandhar, grew rich and developed, even despite the occasional bloody and destructive invasions of huge armies of invaders and invaders. Among these, one can note well-known Greeks under the leadership of Alexander the Great, and formidable Scythians, and Persian shahs, and the so-called Sakya (Shakya) - a descendant of which Buddha Gautama Shakyamuni himself is considered, in addition - these are various raids of Afghan and Turkic tribes.
Already by 712 AD, the Punjab population is divided according to its religion into various branches of Hinduism, and represents large communities of Zoroastrians and Buddhists. At the same time, a new young religion, Islam, is brought in by the invasion of the hordes of the troops of the Umayyad Caliphate, under the leadership of Muhammad bin Qasim. It was this religion that was destined to significantly change both geographically and political situation the entire region.
Punjab in 1009 falls victim to the bloody occupation of its troops by the Afghan sultan named Mahmud Ghazni. Bloody military companies plunder a huge number of the then existing temples of North India, and include these lands in the possession of the Ghaznavid Empire. It was under the rule of this sultan that the city of Lahore, which is now in Pakistan, becomes a major political and commercial center - a kind of second capital of the then Afghan empire.
Subsequently, Muhammad the Turkic sultan, twice, respectively in 1186 and 1187, conquered the Punjab, and, finally, completely subjugated it to his power. In 1206, shortly before his death, Ghori appointed Qutb-ud-Din Aibak, his closest general, to the post of naib (governor) with residence in the city of Lahore in what was then Indian lands. Aibak becomes the first ruler of the so-called "Dynasty of Slaves", and in the same year establishes his new state in Delhi under the name of the Delhi Sultanate. His 10 generations rule Punjab until 1290 when the last of them was slaughtered by his powerful courtier Jalal-ud-Din Khilji.
The decline of the Slave dynasty leads to the fact that for the next more than 150 years or so, Punjab becomes the prey of several Muslim dynasties that owned it one after another: these are the famous Khilji period 1290-1320, the Tughlaqi dynasty (1320-1413), militant Sayyids (1414-1451), and, finally, Lodi (1451-1526).
Already in 1523 Zahireddin Babur, former ruler Ferghana Valley and Kabul, known as a descendant of Tamerlane, begins a campaign against India. So, in the First Battle of Panipat, which happened in 1526, his army completely destroys the troops of the last Lodi Sultan Ibrahim and takes Delhi and Agra by storm. Thus, the possessions of the Delhi Sultanate pass into the hands of Babur, which in 1526 establishes a brilliant dynasty of the Great Moghuls, who are called emperors. Thus, the heirs of Babur ruled Punjab for a long period, until 1739. It is under them that a great many different historical and architectural structures and monuments are erected.
However, the brightest and most famous page in the history of Punjab is the birth and exaltation in this region of the culture, religion and state of the so-called Sikhs. It is known that the roots of Sikhism date back to the time of Babur's conquest of northern India. Emperor Akbar, his grandson and heir, who was distinguished by religious tolerance, visiting the langar - the so-called free dining room, created under the Gurudwara for everyone from any religion, is imbued with respect for this young cult, and its head - Guru Amar Das. Surprised and impressed, the emperor donates vast lands to the gurudwara, and until 1605, until his death, remains on friendly terms with the then Sikh gurus.
His son and heir, Jahangir, having gained power, regards the Sikh gurus and religion in general as a serious threat to his own dominion. He arrests Guru Arjun Dev, subjecting him to brutal death torture, in addition, he begins a nationwide targeted persecution of adherents of Sikhs and Hindus. This leads to the fact that the sixth, new, religious Sikh leader named Guru Nar Gobind declares the sovereignty of the Sikh lands and establishes an entire fort to protect his holy city called Amritsar. Infuriated, Jahangir also captures this leader, imprisoning him in the dungeons of Gwalior. From there, Nara Gobind is released only after many years, then the Mughal emperor decides that there is no more threat from the Sikhs.
Jahangir's heir, his son Shah Jahan, after his father's death in 1627, continued his line, undertaking several military campaigns to capture Amritsar, finally forcing the Sikhs to retreat to the Shivalik Hills. There they remain for several decades. Shah Jahan's son Aurangzeb, having ascended the throne of Delhi in 1658, is also distinguished by great religious cruelty and intolerance, stronger than his predecessors. He will not even pity his aged father and his own brothers, what to think about the Sikhs. Almost immediately, he makes a number of attempts to limit the Sikh gurus, even active attempts to elevate his protege Ram Rai to this post.
Tegh Bahadur becomes the ninth Supreme Guru of the Sikhs, starting from the day of his advent, March 20, 1665, an active struggle against Aurangzeb's attempts to completely Islamize all living Sikhs. Firstly, he moves his residence to Anandpur, and begins to actively travel around the region, agitating and preaching against the imposition of power by Ram Rai and Mughal intolerance. He also helps all the Kashmiri Brahmins, preventing them from converting to Islam. However, he was soon captured and taken to Aurangzeb, who offered him the choice of either death or the adoption of Islam. It is clear that the legendary Guru prefers death, which is why he was beheaded in 1675, while receiving eternal worship and respect from the Sikhs, and, of course, the status of a holy martyr.
Gobind Singh, the tenth Supreme Guru, continues the consolidation of the Sikhs, and for their protection he transfers the residence of the community to the city of Paunta, builds a powerful fort there, creating a strong militia from the warriors who converted to Sikhism. The Rajas of the Shivalik Hills were wary of the rapidly growing power of his army, as well as his growing political influence. They make a number of attacks on the Sikh lands, but are defeated and driven back. It was on March 30, 1699 that Gobind Singh announced the creation of a headquarters that unites the Sikh military forces - Khalsa, in the city of Anandpur. This further rallies the various Sikh communities together in the fight against the Rajas of the Shivalik Hills, who were instigated by the Mughal emperors. Finally, the Khalsa warriors in 1701 defeat the combined army of the Rajas of the Shivalik Hills and the Mughals who attacked them. It happened in the famous battle near the city of Mukstar.
In 1707, when the Mughal ruler Aurangzeb dies, it is Guru Gobind Singh who is invited as heir to the Mughal throne to peace negotiations with an emperor named Bahadur Shah I in South India, city of Nanded. However, as soon as he arrived there, the guru is attacked by agents former military commander in the army of Aurangzeb, who became governor of Sirhind and all of Malwa, named Wazir Khan. Nevertheless, Gobind Singh kills them in a fight, while receiving a severe wound in the chest.
A European surgeon hired by Bahadur Shah stitches up the Guru's wound, but it soon reopens as the Sikh guru tries to shoot with a bow that is too tight. Anticipating death, Gobind Singh gives Banda Singh Bahadur, the one he trusted, a document according to which all Sikh military groups will obey him, punishing him to start a campaign for the liberation and unification of all Sikh lands. According to the will of the dying Gobind Singh, for all Sikhs, the holder of the title of Eternal Supreme Guru was Holy Bible Sri Guru Granth Sahib is the main book of Sikhism.
It took Banda Singh Bahadur two years to gather the forces of his allies and supporters, after which he leads a pan-Punjabi uprising against the Mughals and their religious henchmen in the region. His actions became so successful that even Wazir Khan himself is captured in Sirhind-Fatehgarh and beheaded. All the cities where the supporters of the Great Mughals distinguished themselves with particular cruelty towards the Sikh people were subjected to punitive actions, and the cities themselves were destroyed. Having subjugated the lands between the Yamuna and Sutlezh rivers, the commander makes the city of Lohgarh, located in the Himalayas, his capital. He even starts minting his own coin.
However, in 1716, a relatively small Sikh detachment, numbering somewhere around 700 people, led by Banda Singh Bahadur, was surrounded and locked in a fort called Gurdas Nangal. They are without external food and have no supply for the whole 7 months. It was done large numbers Mughal troops, which was led by the son of the governor of Lahore, Zakariya Khan. Finally, the fortress was taken by an onslaught of a 100,000-strong Mogul army. The surviving exhausted Sikhs are captured and sent under escort through Lahore to Delhi. Enraged and disgraced that some 700 Sikh warriors could tie down a huge army and hold the fort for 7 months, Zakaria Khan puts on a bloody show out of this path. He orders to cut off all possible heads of the Sikhs for their slightest transgressions on the long journey to the Mughal capital itself. Arriving in the capital, he continues the cruel spectacle there, culminating in terrible torture and, finally, the execution of the leader, Banda Singh Bahadur, who flatly refused to convert to Islam.
At this time, the Mughal Empire is bursting at the seams, because after the death of Aurangzeb, a huge internecine struggle flares up for the throne of Delhi. One after another, a series of assassinations and palace coups follow. This is used by Nadir Shah, the then ruler of Persia, who in 1739 defeats the troops, as it turned out, last emperor Mughals named Muhammad Shah, at the Battle of Karnal. He captures Delhi and arranges total looting and a terrible massacre there. The Punjab, meanwhile, is also becoming part of the Persian booty.
Then Ahmad Shah Durrani, an Afghan (nee - Abdali), in 1747, becomes the lord of the lands of Nadir Shah. This happens after Nadir Shah is killed by his own soldiers. Since the ruler was a native of the Punjab, he briefly makes part of the future vast Afghan Empire called Durrani and his small homeland. It should not be forgotten that from 1758 to 1761 the Afghans cede control to the Maratha Empire, but soon gain it.
The territory of the Punjab at this time becomes a battlefield between the Sikh armies, which are rapidly gaining strength, and, in fact, the Afghans. Many cities several times passed from one to another. At the same time, even Lahore, the capital of the region, and Amritsar, sacred to all Sikhs, were seriously affected. The destruction was great - after all, even the famous monument - the Golden Temple - was damaged. Finally, in 1773, when Ahmad Shah Durrani, respected among the leaders of numerous and at the same time motley Afghan tribes, dies, it becomes clear that his empire is overtaken by the same fate as the Mughal Empire. After all, the civil strife that began there and the frequent attacks of their external enemies weaken it, as a result of which the once strong state is gradually falling apart.
However, even then the territory of the Punjab had independent independent administrative regions Sikhs called misla. Although they are still scattered, and do not have a common clear structure, with the exception of Khalsa, the army's joint headquarters. Afghan armies moreover, trying to destroy the Sikhs, they invade Punjab more than once, but so far without success. A to late XVIII century, it became clear that the Sikh army is a powerful and coordinated whole. And finally, in 1796, when the Afghans once again tried to invade India, Ranjit Singh, the then ruler from one of the regions, Sukerchakias, was chosen as the head of the combined forces of the Khalsa. This is the decision of the assembly of Sikh leaders. This man has already shown that he is a talented and skillful commander, repeatedly beat the Afghans up to that moment. The Afghans were soon driven back and defeated under the leadership of Ranjit Singh.
So, on July 6, 1799, a Sikh army of twenty-five thousand soldiers, led by Ranjit Singh, advances on Lahore. Having the moral and material support of many sections of the Punjabi population, including both Muslims and Hindus. People see in him, first of all, a liberator from slavery among the Afghans, so the Sikh commander enters the capital of Punjab, and then, after a couple of years, he is officially proclaimed the first maharaja in the Sikh Empire.
The Sikh Empire was formally established only in 1801. It extends from the Khyber Pass, which joins what is now Pakistan and Afghanistan, which is to the west; right down to Tibet, looking east; in the south it reached Sindh, and in the north it reached Kashmir. Interesting was the fact that the Sikhs are not the religious majority in this empire - they are only about 15 percent, as well as the Hindus. The majority of the empire's population - about 70 percent - are Muslims. When Maharaja Ranjit Singh dies in 1839, internal tensions begin in the empire, which weaken it. The British East India Company, which appeared in India at that time, decided to take advantage of this, so as many as 32,000 British soldiers advance to the borders of the Punjab region.
1845 was marked by the beginning of the First Anglo-Sikh War, which was brutal and difficult, but quite successful for the newcomers to the British. And three years later, Great Britain in 1848 begins the Second War, as a result of which, we can talk about the complete loss of independence by Punjab. So, on April 2, 1849, it is included in the British East India Company and is called the Punjab Province. At the same time, some part of the Sikh lands retains formal autonomy, nominally remaining under the protectorate of local maharajas, who, nevertheless, recognize over themselves supreme power current Britons.
For the next fifty years, the Punjab developed as one of the most important Indian territories under the protectorate of Great Britain. Lahore becomes a major cultural and educational center, and the city of Rawalpindi - receives the status of a solid military base. In addition, entire Punjabi battalions appear in the British colonial forces. However, more and more opponents of colonial rule appear among the population in the region, especially after the Sepoy Rebellion that swept India in 1857.
Already in the 20th century, when the First World War broke out, active actions of Indians for their independence flared up again in Punjab. This practically paralyzes the administrative activity of the British, which is why, after the end of active hostilities in Europe, Great Britain again begins the campaign, eliminating its opponents. In response to this, Jawaharlal Nehru and Mahatma Gandhi, along with a number of other Indian politicians, are activating political activity making it even more intense.
The colonialists, worried, if not enraged by such actions, put into effect a whole series of decrees and laws, which are basically aimed at suppressing any anti-government rallies. There was even a decree on the free use of weapons by the colonists. So, in the city of Amritsar on April 13, 1919, in the Jallianwala Bagh garden, British soldiers killed from 500 to 1000 ordinary Indians, where there were women and children. It was a peaceful gathering to celebrate the religious Sikh festival called Baisakhi. The fact of the massacre rallied the entire population of the Punjab even more and set it up against the colonialists. Finally, in 1930, the party, led by Gandhi and Nehru, together with the Indian National Congress, announced in its declaration the recognition of India, with Lahore as its capital, as an independent territory.
At the same time, disputes over religious beliefs began to appear among the Indian population, which supported the idea of independence, which eventually spread to the whole people. This led to the 1940 Lahore Declaration drawn up by the All India Muslim League. She calls on all Muslim Punjabis to fight for the independence of Pakistan. Once again the Punjab becomes the arena for a very implacable, dirty and bloody fight between Muslims, Sikhs and Hindus.
These events culminated in the events of 1946, when the Muslim population of the Punjab launched a communal aggression and revealed open violence against the Hindu and Sikh minorities. And the minority takes up arms, and blood is shed again, the first blood in another war. These events have become key for the entire further history development of India, as well as neighboring powers. In order to somehow solve the problem, representatives of the National Congress and the Muslim League decide to divide the Punjab along so-called religious lines. This served as a model for the subsequent division of the territories of British India.
When India finally gains Independence in August 1947, Punjab Province is divided into two parts. Western Muslim Punjab falls under the newly formed state of Pakistan, while East Punjab remains an Indian territory dominated by Sikh and Hindu populations. Many so-called semi-independent principalities of the Punjab region, such as Patiyala and others, also depart from the territory of India.
The division of the Punjab entailed a massive migration of the Indian population. This, in turn, gives rise to a large number of victims on the basis of religious intolerance and communal turmoil. After all, many hundreds, even thousands of people break out of their homes and are forced to move many hundreds, or even thousands of kilometers from former home and friends. In addition, in the same year, the First Indo-Pakistani War breaks out over disputes over Kashmir, which divides the inhabitants of the then unified region even more.
Then, in 1950, two states were formed, the first of them - Punjab. The second was the Union of East Punjab and Patiala countries. Although the date - November 1, 1956 - is the starting point when these two states are administratively combined.
The question of a new capital immediately arises, because Lahore, the historical capital in the ancient Punjab, goes to Pakistan. Thus, Chandigarh became the new administrative center of the Punjab. It is both a city and, by the way, one of the smallest union territories in India. In addition, Chandigarh now serves as the capital in two modern states at once - in Punjab, as well as in neighboring Haryana, which, by the way, is not part of it.
Since the separatist tendencies were very strong at the time, the Sikh population in the newly formed state began to demand the creation of a Punjabi-speaking, national administrative entity. Due to this, on November 1, 1966, according to the charter of the Reorganization Act of the State of Punjab, its southern half, which speaks entirely Hindi, is excluded from the composition. It becomes a new state called Haryana. In addition, a number of lands that used the Pahari language in communication in the mountains in the northeast (Kullu, Kangra, Shimla, Spiti and Lahaul) become part of another state, Himachal Pradesh.
In the 70s of the twentieth century, the country was plunged into a serious crisis due to disagreements and opposition of the Indian government and its opposition, to which the Sikh parties considered themselves. So, in 1975, Indira Gandhi, as prime minister, introduces a state of emergency in the country. It, in general, lasted about two years, June 25, 1975 - March 21, 1977. Thousands from the opposition and opponents of the existing government were imprisoned during this period. Among those arrested are about 40,000 Sikhs alone, who opposed the federal center and supported the creation of an autonomous government of Punjab.
In response to the repression, one of the most influential Sikh political parties, Shiromani Akali Das, adopted the Anandpur Sahib Declaration, drawn up in 1973. According to the document, the Punjab and other states have the right to maximum autonomy within the Indian Union, while the capabilities of the central government have been significantly limited. So, in the early 1980s, there are fundamentalist Sikh groups that are fighting for the implementation of this Declaration, but this is done through violence against federal officials and their opponents.
In response to this, in June 1984, Indira Gandhi carried out the army's "Operation Blue Star", where tanks and armored vehicles are used. Their goal is to capture the Harmandir Sahib - the so-called Golden Temple in the city of Amritsar, which is sacred to all Sikhs. The fact is that the main hall of the temple was taken by Jarnail Bhindranwale, a well-known local politician, to his political headquarters. The assault on the shrine has triggered events in which a great many Punjabi Hindus and Sikhs are joining a secessionist campaign that aims at the independence of the Punjab, while planning to create the Sikh state of Khalistan.
The attack on the shrine was not in vain for the prime minister either. So, on October 31, 1984, Indira Gandhi is killed by personal Sikh bodyguards, avenging the Golden Temple. In fact, this leads to increased violence and a series of anti-Sikh pogroms in Delhi. The victims were between 10,000 and 17,000 Sikhs who were killed and their homes burned by "gangs of unknown workers" instigated by the government. Only about 50 thousand civilians become refugees. The tragic events decisively pushed the Sikhs to fight for a free Khalistan in a terrorist manner.
Explosions rumble in popular public places, attacks on various federal officials multiply, murders begin civilians who were on the side of the government. The result was that between 1987 and 1992 the government of the Indian Union forbids any local government elections in the state of Punjab. The territory is administered directly from the capital, Delhi. In parallel, a real hunt for Sikh activists is being carried out, using inhumanly unacceptable methods.
Time passes and people tired of many years terrible violence, brutal murders and political persecution, still come to some understanding. Finally, in the Punjab by the early 1990s. separatism is practically disappearing. For its part, the federal government has also admitted its share of the blame for what is happening, and now it is making every effort to ensure that this does not happen again.
Now, the state of Punjab is a modern Indian community, which allows it to be an important industrial, financial, educational and tourist center in the Indian Union. Its administrative division consists of 22 districts, which in turn are combined into 3 main ones - Doaba, Majha and Malwa. Its main activity is Agriculture(wheat is produced in the state - it holds the lead in the Indian Union. In addition, coniferous oil and cane sugar are produced in the state). From industrial enterprises, the creation and production of various research instruments, electrical equipment can be noted. Sports goods, textiles, bicycles, and a number of other household goods are also produced here. Many steel mills are also located in Punjab.
Education: Punjab is a multi-university state. After all, a large number of different educational institutions- from colleges to universities - allow you to get an education for every taste. This includes secondary, higher, and specialized higher education in many areas: engineering and legal, financial and medical. Specialties of veterinarians are also in demand. And the state can be proud of the best professionals in the country, especially in the field of agriculture.
The 2008 figures provide information that the state holds the lowest hunger rate in India. In addition, it is considered the highest level of development of social and household infrastructure in the country. And the state can also guarantee the best (2003 data) living conditions compared to the entire Indian Union. Probably because of this, about 20 percent of internal migrants are now in Punjabi territory - compared with total number the entire population. Most of them are workers from Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and Odisha, who came to the rich land of the Sikhs for forced earnings.
Geographical position of Punjab state:
The territory of the state is maximally located on a fertile plain, where there are many streams, rivers, as well as artificial irrigation facilities. In its south-west, the Punjab is much more dry than other areas, because closer to the cordon with Rajasthan, the state gradually becomes an arid zone, which lies on the eve of Thar, the Great Indian Desert. A low mountain range called the Shivalik Hills, which is the foothills of the Himalayas, is located in the northeast of the state. Its maximum height is small - only about 500 m. But here weather forecasters state the largest amount of precipitation in the entire Punjab.
Flora and fauna of Punjab:
The richest biodiversity: this is how the area of the Shivalik Hills is characterized. In addition, many of the plants and animals that grow here are endemic - they are unique and are found only here. The beauty is amazing, because you can see about a couple of hundred amazing plants. The order of mammals is represented by 19 species. Separately, it should be noted a huge number of butterflies - as many as 214 species and birds - 396 species! In addition, you can see 55 species of fish and 20 species of reptiles. The wide plains in Punjab do not have natural forests, its vegetation is mainly grasses and shrubs. Although there are many gardens with numerous fruit trees of various varieties. Reserves and National parks also widely represented in the Punjab.
Religious Beliefs in Punjab:
Now the religious beliefs of the Punjabis have hardly changed against the historical background. This is perhaps the only state in the Indian Union where the Sikh majority prevails (60%). The rest are represented by such figures: 37% are Hindus, 2% are Muslims, 1.5% are Christians, in addition there are small communities of Buddhists, Jains and others.
Landmarks in Punjab:
For tourists, Punjab is attractive for its rich history, interesting and unusual culture and delicious cuisine. All this cannot but attract travel enthusiasts. Generous events in the state's long history stretching back tens of thousands of years allow it to showcase interesting historical, architectural and religious monuments and monuments. At the same time, the state became famous for its amazing natural beauty and the incredible wealth of flora and fauna. The cuisine of India offers absolutely amazing both vegetarian and non-vegetarian dishes from local confectioners and chefs that everyone will like.
The hallmark of Punjab and a masterpiece of architecture is the Harmandir Sahib in the city of Amritsar, the so-called Golden Temple, which attracts tourists even more than the shrine of the Taj Mahal. The majestic building since 1574 has been keeping the Supreme Guru of the Sikhs - a sacred scripture called Sri Guru Granth Sahib. It glitters in the sun and shimmers in the rays of night lights, striking with its perfect beauty and amazing power of centuries.
The ancient majestic fort called Qila Mubarak in the city of Bathinda can also be considered famous and visited. He himself is very ancient and was erected somewhere else in the 90-110 years. n. e. two legendary rulers: Emperor Kanishka of the Kushan dynasty, and also Raja Dab, very long and respected rulers in North India. The fortress walls of enormous power and grandeur over their century, or rather two thousand years of being, felt many battles and insidious palace intrigues, saw glorious victories and witnessed brutal defeats. It was in this fort, for example, that the only female ruler in the entire history of Delhi was briefly imprisoned, who was a sultana named Razia Begam, the heiress and daughter of Iltutmysh, who was on the throne from 1236 to 1240.
Tourists history lovers, you will definitely like the Rupnagar area in the town of Anandpur Sahib. It is here that the Sikh Joint Army Headquarters Khalsa originates, which was founded back in 1665 by the 9th Supreme Guru named Tegh Bahadur. Well-preserved buildings of ancient fortresses and temples will be just a godsend for lovers of antiquity.
Sirhind Fatehgarh, a city with a complex name (Fatehgarh Sahib district), keeps the bloody crimes of centuries. It was here that the Mughal governor Wazir Khan concreted alive the young sons of the Guru named Gobin Singh. Subsequently, he was executed by the Sikhs themselves, and the city was betrayed to complete destruction. Only ruins remained from those times, but they keep the memory of centuries. At the site of the death of the children of one of the Sikh gurus, now stands the majestic Sikh temple - the city's gurudwara, fully open to tourists.
For those who would like to visit the palaces of the Maharajas of Punjab, we recommend excursions to the cities of Kapurthala, Faridkot and Patiala. It is there, along with the luxurious residences of famous rulers from the past, that there are a lot of historical sights. There are forts and gurudwaras, temples and mosques, gardens and museums.
Very ancient eras also keep their artifacts, they can be found in India from the time of the so-called Indus Valley Civilization, which is located in the city of Ropar or Rupnagar. These are ancient Hindu archeological monuments in the small town of Dholbaha, Hoshiarpur district, and, of course, Buddhist buildings in the town of Sanghol, which is located in the Fatehgarh Sahib district.
The highlight of Punjab for tourists will be the border crossings at the generally recognized Indo-Pakistani cordon, which are located in such settlements as Wagha, which is not far from Amritsar, as well as Hussaiani Wala, which lies in the Firozpur region. For tourists here every day! noisy and colorful opening and closing ceremonies of both borders are held. Soldiers and even officers from both armies participate in these actions. They are dressed up in dress uniform, and at the same time they try their best to outdo each other in the drill, endurance and complexity of their performed rituals. At this time, huge crowds of both Indian and foreign tourists flock to see, photograph or videotape these extremely interesting and very unusual colorful procedures.
Museums in Punjab:
Be sure to mention the numerous museums in the state, and each of them is unique in its own way and may be of interest to any traveler. I would like to name the most popular, although there are so many of them: this is the Museum of the Maharaja. Ranjit Singh in the city of Amritsar, and a war memorial in the city of Ferozshah, and a museum in the city of Sanghole, and an art gallery in the city of Shish Mahal, and a museum military weapons in the fortress of Kila Mubarak, the city of Patiale, and, undoubtedly, the museum of one of the most popular Sikh Gurus named Tegh Bahadur in the city of Anandpur Sahib.
Natural monuments of the state of Punjab:
Punjab is also famous for several zoological gardens and reserves. In addition, there are famous national parks here, among them - the National Swamp Park, Hari-Ke-Pattan Reserve in the Amritsar region, Firozpur, Tarn-Taran and Kapurthala. Peculiar swamp reserves are also interesting for walking, such as Kanjli Wetland, which lies in the Kapurthala region, Sutlej Water Badi Wetland, which is located in the Rupnagar region, as well as the Chhatbir Zoo, popular for Indians and tourists.
The cultural and artistic heritage of the State of Punjab is based on several pillars - a national form of music and dance called bhangra, based on traditional village ritual dances, a rich heritage of Punjabi poets, its own cinema, and numerous rural, folk and religious festivals that regularly take place in the state.
Punjabi cuisine: It should be noted that Punjabi cuisine is very diverse. Thanks to a long and diverse history, it has absorbed vegetarian and meat and dairy dishes, spicy sauces and dishes, and dishes completely free of spices. Although no, one thing remains unchanged - this is an unforgettable, amazing taste of food, thanks to which cooks from Punjab are appreciated all over the world. As for prices, they are relatively low for food, you can easily find a suitable restaurant or snack bar in tourist places in a reasonable ratio to prices and quality of service.
Shopping in Punjab:
It should be noted that in the state of Punjab there is quite an interesting shopping, but you should immediately warn that it is typically "Indian" style, and at the same time there are few supermarkets and malls of the average European level. It is worth saying that there are few places where you can pay with credit cards. Traditionally, it should be remembered that in India, as in any other Asian country, the art of bargaining is simply a necessary part of shopping. Indeed, at the same time, the initial price can be reduced up to four or more times.
The logical result of the development of the tourism business in Punjab was the emergence of a large number of guesthouses and hotels for every taste and price, so there is absolutely not the slightest problem in terms of finding a suitable accommodation for you. The hotel business is especially developed in such large cities as Amritsar.
How to get to Punjab:
As you know, the state of Punjab does not have any maritime border consequently, its transport systems, both air, rail and road, are extremely developed - they are considered among the best in all of India.
Punjab is famous for its best transport network India. Virtually all cities and towns in the state are well connected, either by rail or high quality paved roads. This is one of the most extensive and modern ways in all Indian states. Six airports (Amritsar, Ludhiana, Patiyala, Pathankot, Mohali, Chandigarh) are also a good indicator for tourism development. Although so far only one of them - in the city of Amritsar is now considered international, all the rest are for domestic flights. However, in the future, there are plans to combine the Mohali airport and the international airport in Chandigarh.
It should be noted that many Indian airlines offer scheduled flights to Punjab areas from many of their cities such as Dharamsala, Chennai (Madras), Jaipur, Ludhiana, Mumbai (Bombay), Delhi, Srinagar, Bangalore, Jammu, Indore, and Kullu. You can learn more about each destination and learn more about airlines by visiting the official websites of such air carriers. like GoAir, Air India, Jagson Airlines, Kingfisher Airlines, Air India Regional, Jet Airways.
We should not forget about the extended railway network, which includes several fairly large railway junctions and crosses the entire territory of the state both along and across. Although the most extensive is the road network, which allows a huge number of buses and cars to deliver passengers to virtually all the necessary settlements of the Punjab. This fact allows you to travel as with a taxi or any other rented transport. At the same time, the list of cities where buses or trains run constantly is quite wide, as for ticket prices, they are quite affordable. The only inconvenience that you may encounter is the fact that the closer to the date of your trip, the prices go up. In addition, tickets may end unexpectedly, so it is better to purchase them in advance.
(76.3 million people, 2011, re-pi-pis; over 70% in the province of Pendjab and the city of Is-la-ma-bad) and se-ve-ro-za- pas de India (29.1 million people, of which 22.3 million people in the state of Pendjab, 2.2 million people in Har-ya-ne, 1.1 million people in Radzhast-ha-ne people - 2001, re-re-writing). They also live in the USA (mainly in the state of Ka-li-for-nia), We-li-ko-bri-ta-ni (over 1.5 million people - 2009, estimate), UAE , Sa-ud. Ara-wii, Xiang-ga-ne, Ma-lay-zii and others. The total number is about 120 million people (2013). They speak in the language of pan-ja-bi, races-pro-countries-not-us, as well as the languages of ur-du. Believers in Pa-ki-sta-ne are mainly mu-sul-ma-ne-sun-ni-you, in India - sik-hee and in-dui-sty, there is christia-ne (something-li-ki and pro-tes-tan-you).
Traditional cul-tu-ra ti-pich-na for the peoples of South Asia. The main za-nya-tie is the arable land-le-de-lie (wheat-ni-tsa, pro-so, bo-bo-vye, ku-ku-ru-za; Eastern Pend-jab - one from the main cotton-vodka districts of India); development of artificial irrigation. The main agricultural tool is a light wooden plow, harnessed in a bull-kow. Raz-vi-you tka-che-st-vo (in-du-owls have a traditional for-nya-tie kas-you ju-la-ha), including the production of carpets (mainly you-walkers from Kash-mi-ra) and silk-to-y fabrics, from-go-to-le-metal su-dy, yuve-lir-noe de-lo , carving on de-re-vu, stone-nu, layer-no-howl bone-ty (mainly in Am-rit-sa-re). In-se-le-niya street plan-ni-ditch-ki, count-you-va-yut to several hundreds of courtyards. Zhi-li-sche cheese-tso-voe or clay-but-bit-noe, in the mountains - de-re-vyan-noe two-story, with cla-do-you and a barn in lower-it is the same and lived-ly-mi in-me-sche-niya-mi - in the upper one. Men's clothes - yes - pants, ru-ba-ha, wool-stya-naya without-ru-kav-ka, tyur-ban or sha-poch-ka; women's - ru-ba-ha to ko-len (ka-miz), shi-ro-kie pants (sal-var, suth-ni), walked-to-vy scarf (chun-ni, du- pat-ta). Food - sweet le-pesh-ki from wheat-nitch-noy (pa-ra-tha) and ku-ku-ruz-noy (mak-ki di ro-ti) mu-ki, ka-shi from bob (summer), pro-sa and ku-ku-ru-zy (zy-my). Ha-rak-ter-ny upot-reb-le-nie to-p-le-no-go mas-la (ghee) and spices-stey (ma-sa-la), cold ki- slo-moch-ny on-pi-current with spices-but-stya-mi (las-si) and others. Kas-you races-pro-countries-not-us both among in-du-owls and among mu-sul-man. In Pa-ki-sta-no great significance is pat-ri-line-ne-nye related groups (bi-ra-da-ri).
Musical culture from-whether-cha-et-sya different-but-about-ra-zi-em forms and genres - classical, folk, re-li-gi-oz-ny (mainly within the framework of the Su-fi-sky practice-ti-ki). At the tomb-ni-tsa pro-po-ved-ni-ka and po-this Ba-ba Fa-ri-da (1173 or 1175-1265) use su-fi song-but-singing kau-a-li in co-pro-in-g-de-nii of the religious dance dha-mal. Among the musical-ethical traditions of the sik-hov you-de-la-et-sya creative-che-st-vo dha-di - is-pol-ni-te-lei ball-lad ge- rho-ic, religious, love-no-go-hold: usually they sing group-pa-mi (entering in turn or together ) under ak-com-pa-ne-ment of small-lazy ba-ra-ba-nov in the form of pe-juicy hours (dhadd) and bow-to-go-in-st- ru-men-ta (sa-rang-gi). Single-night or group-only performance of folklore rural ball-modes with-pro-in-y-yes-there is one-stringed pluck -ko-ym fierce-not-visible in-st-ru-men-tom (tum-bi) and steam flute-toy (al-go-za). Classical music developed mainly in Pa-ti-al-gha-ra-ne (that is, in one of the Indian schools of khai-ya-la), most pain the most famous in the 20th century is the Indian-pa-Kistani singer Ba-de Gu-lam Ali Khan, his son Mu-na-var Ali Khan and grandson Raza Ali Khan. Men's and women's pe-sen-no-tan-tse-val-nye genres at-uro-che-us for various holidays, including re-li-gi-oz-nym ; among women - round-go-vy sam-mi (about the is-to-rii of love-vi and raz-lu-ki princess-sy Sam-mi) and guide-yes (co-pro-in -well-yes-et-sya clap-ka-mi in la-do-ni and play-swarm on ba-ra-ba-not dhol-ki); among men - ju-mar (ex-ta-ti-che-sky, used-half-nya-is-usually at weddings; has re-gio-nal but-kind-no-sti). Shi-ro-ko ras-pro-country collective dance bhangra, rising to the holiday of harvesting Wai-sak-khi; is-half-nya-et-sya both wives-on-mi, and husband-chi-on-mi, from-whether-cha-et-sya alive ha-rak-te-rum. On its basis, the style of the modern music of the Punjabis was built; popular Indian-British singer Ra-jin-der Singh Rai (pseudonym Panjabi MC) ob-e-di-nil traditional bhan-gra style with modern on-right-le-niya-mi pop-mu-zy-ki.
The word "Punjab" in translation from the local language - Punjabi - means Five Rivers. This is the name of a vast region located in the floodplains of five major rivers supplying water to its inhabitants all year round. Once it could be said that they are also the natural boundaries of this territory. However, now the country of Punjab does not exist - the lands of Pyatirechye are divided between India and Pakistan. The Punjabis today are the largest people on the planet without their own state.
The history of Pyatirechye is surprisingly rich. Once the valley of five rivers became the cradle of the entire Indian civilization. Mahabharata, immortal indian epic, says that it was on the Punjab plain that the great battle of the Pandavas and Kauravas took place. It was here that the Mughal Empire was born, which for more than three hundred years became the masters of all the surrounding lands. The Sikh religion appeared in Pyatirechye - the rulers who professed it owned the region until Punjab was annexed by Britain, turning it into one of its colonies. The winners mercifully treated the last ruler of this country - they just removed him from his post and even paid the former prince a lifetime pension. After the departure of the British, Pyatirechye was completely divided into parts: one went to Pakistan, the other to India.
Today Punjab is not the largest state in India. But, perhaps, the most economically developed. A province with a population of only 24 million people and an area of 50 thousand square meters. km can be called both the breadbasket and the assembly shop of the country. Local agriculture provides 3% of the world's wheat, 2% of cotton and 1% of rice. 30% of Indian enterprises producing electronics, machine tools, fertilizers are also concentrated here. And wool products in India are produced mostly in Punjab.
All cities and villages, even the smallest settlements high in the mountains, are electrified; in the last of them the wires were stretched back in 1974. Punjab is also the most educated state: 80% of the local men and 70% of the women can read and write.
Most of the population of this province professes Sikhism, and this peaceful, harmonious religion affects the mentality of the Punjabis in the most beneficial way. Every Sikh may, upon seeing you for the first time, agree to accompany you on any, even the most distant, trip. Just to show the way. Or, having met during a joint feast, in the morning go with you on a climbing trip to a seven-thousander mountain. At the same time, they are serious people. Until 1984, 80% of the officers of the Indian army and a third of the officials of the federal state apparatus were Punjabi Sikhs.
But then everything changed - after the Sikh bodyguards killed Indira Gandhi. The reason for the action was the order to conduct an anti-terrorist operation against the Punjabi separatists, given by the Prime Minister to the Indian special forces. The operation resulted in the assault on the main shrine of the Sikhs - the Golden Temple in Amritsar. As a result, the temple was badly damaged, the shrine was defiled. Peaceful pilgrims also suffered. And the separatists swore that Indira would not live to see the end of the year. And so it happened - the prime minister, who appeared in public without a bulletproof vest, was simply shot dead.
It was a terrible time for the Sikhs. The people were de facto outlawed for a whole decade. And only 20 years later, the Prime Minister of India apologized for these years.
Chandigarh. Dear Capital
The official capital of Punjab, Chandigarh, is declared the cleanest locality India. The colorful name, which translates as "Fortress in honor of the goddess Chandi" - the city was given in honor of the Chandi Mandir temple, located 12 km. The history of the city is not so rich - it was founded in 1953. But it is rightfully famous for its architecture - exceptionally modern, since Chandigarh was erected on a site where there were no settlements before.
As the chief urban planner, the Indian government invited the most famous architect of that time - the Swiss Le Corbusier. By that time, he had already managed to build many magnificent buildings all over the world, from Argentina to Japan (even in the USSR he was invited to participate in the design of the Centrosoyuz House and as a consultant in the construction of the country's main building - the Palace of Soviets). Under the leadership of the master, in just 5 years, a city has grown at the foot of the Himalayas, which is rightfully considered the pride of Punjab, with an area of 150 square meters. km.
Le Corbusier conceived Chandigarh as a compact and neat administrative center for a small state. But the rapid growth of the country's population and the flows of migrants that rushed into the new settlement quickly utilized this idea. Instead of the 30 districts-sectors planned by the architect, today there are already 60 of them in the capital - the city is actively being upset. Chandigarh is already not much different from other Indian cities. And unauthorized construction on the outskirts does not harmonize with the central regions at all, thanks to which the capital received a second, almost official, name - the City of Beauty.
Although life here is quite expensive, Chandigarh is considered the second most popular place in India, after the Taj Mahal. However, there are relatively few foreign tourists here - mostly Indians themselves go to the capital of Punjab. And no wonder: in such young city not so many attractions.
But if you do get here, be sure to visit sector 1, which is also called the Capitol. It is completely independent, complete architectural ensemble placed outside the city limits. The state administration sits in the majestic buildings of the sector, so tourists are not allowed inside. But everyone can appreciate the work of one of the most famous architects of the twentieth century from the outside.
In addition, in Chandigarh it is worth visiting the Neka Chand Rock Garden. The history of its creation is simply incredible. For 40 years it was created by only one person - Nek Chand, who worked as a traffic inspector in the Office of Public Works. For a long time, he kept the work of his whole life a secret, collecting stones alone, erecting unusual sculptures and amazing structures from them. Fortunately, the ruins of the surrounding villages, demolished to make way for the future capital, supplied him with an almost unlimited amount of materials.
In the end about unusual hobby the road inspector was recognized by the chief architect of Chandigarh, a student of Le Corbusier M.N. Sharma. Seeing the result of Chand's years of work, he was very impressed. And instead of ordering the demolition of illegal buildings, he helped this enthusiastic person turn the rock garden into an interesting attraction that attracts many tourists.
This is the capital of the state of Punjab. And the more surprising is the attitude of the Punjabis themselves towards it. They do not consider Chandigarh to be the capital. The fact is that the city is also the administrative center of the neighboring state of Haryana. And at the same time, it is not officially part of any of them, reporting directly to the government in Delhi.
There is a golden city… Amritsar
The Punjabi Sikhs consider the holy city of Amritsar to be the true capital of their land. Its name comes from the name of the lake, according to legend, dug out by one person - Guru Ram Das. They say that it was he who gave the reservoir the name Amrit Sarovar, that is, the "Source of the nectar of immortality." And the settlement on the shores of the lake began to be called abbreviated - Amritsar. By the way, the city itself was also founded by Ram Das. It happened in 1577. And 11 years later, the first stone of the future main shrine of the Sikh religion, the gurdwara Harmandir Sahib or the Golden Temple of Amritsar, was laid in the center of the lake.
This building was erected surprisingly quickly, just 14 years later there was a brilliant temple in the middle of the reservoir, burning with fire in the rays of the Indian sun. It was called golden for a reason: two-thirds of the building is trimmed with gold on the outside. And not leafy, but leafy.
The shrine has always been well guarded, and yet the temple has suffered more than once in its history. Especially in the enlightened twentieth century. In 1919, English soldiers shot thousands of peaceful processions of pilgrims here and damaged the facade of the building with cannonballs. It was stormed by special forces in 1984. As a result, the building was again seriously damaged. The Indian government tried to restore the temple, but the proud Punjabis did not accept any help or apologies - the shrine acquired its original appearance solely on the donations of the Sikhs themselves.
The modern Golden Temple is a separate city within a city, beautiful and carefully guarded. All the gates (and there are 18 of them) are fortified, well guarded and, if necessary, reliably blocked. At the same time, the shrine stands in isolation, on the water. The temple complex is connected to the outside world by a bridge, on which colorful bearded sardars - Sikh guardsmen - constantly keep watch. But everyone can get to the territory of the Golden Temple, regardless of faith. It is only necessary to comply with certain requirements - or rather, polite requests gatekeepers: take off your shoes and socks, wash your feet in the sacred lake and cover your head with a scarf, which you will be given right on the spot - bright orange, with the symbols of the temple and very beautiful.
After that, everyone becomes a welcome and long-awaited guest here, especially a white person. Unfamiliar people come up to the tourist, greet, offer help, sardars willingly take pictures. In addition, on the territory of the temple, you yourself will feel like a star - many mothers ask to be photographed with their children. Perhaps this is a good sign for the Sikhs, or maybe it’s just prestigious to photograph your baby in the arms of white man. So for the consent, the fathers of the children will be sincerely grateful to you, and the mothers will be simply happy. Don't give up, do something nice kind people and stay forever in the family albums of welcoming Sikhs.
Walking barefoot around the territory of the complex is absolutely safe from the point of view of hygiene: the area is washed thoroughly, and the floor in the temple itself is not even just water, but milk. But such a walk is fraught with a very special danger - to burn your feet on red-hot marble slabs. After all, the sun here bakes almost all year round, and even in early spring the temperature is under 40 degrees. The easiest way to protect your feet is not to stop for a long time, especially in the sun, but to walk more. Moreover, according to tradition, in order to cleanse yourself and get closer to God, you should go around the temple 4 times clockwise.
The main purpose of your visit here is the temple itself, the Harmandir Sahib. A bridge leads to it - an important stage for both the living and the dead. For the first, this is the only way to get inside, for the second, it is the measure of earthly life. According to legend, only the souls of the righteous can enter the temple without hindrance.
Living on the bridge will have to stand for at least 2 hours. Every Sikh is obliged to go to the temple at least once in his life, and many go quite often. Tourists join the pilgrims. Hence the long lines. In front of the bridge, everyone is carefully examined by the sardars: whether he is neat, whether he wears leather things prohibited here, whether he smells of alcohol and tobacco - in this case, access to the temple is also prohibited. The waiting is brightened up by the music that sounds from the speakers, so pleasant and soothing that you can listen endlessly. If you liked it, in the evening, after sunset, on the temple square, you can listen to it in a live performance by a choir of girls dressed in white closed clothes, very beautiful and, apparently, of European origin. True, what connects them with the Sikh religion and what position they occupy in it, I did not have time to clarify - after finishing singing, they thanked the listeners and left.
The Harmandir Sahib is a beautiful two-story building. On the ground floor there is a large hall in which the main shrine of the Sikhs is kept - holy book Adi Granth. Every day from 5 o'clock in the morning they begin to read it. 4 priests sit in the corners of the hall, who replace each other every 3 hours, and when the book ends, the first page opens and everything repeats. The book lies on a special music stand, each sheet of which is padded with leather. It is difficult for one person not only to lift the tome, but even to turn the page. Therefore, specially assigned people help the priests.
You can’t stand on the first floor for a long time: the line is constantly moving. But you can watch from the balcony on the second floor as much as you like. Be sure to wait for the evening - at 23.00 the book is closed and solemnly carried to separate chambers to rest. The shrine is accompanied by a whole procession, very colorful.
When you get tired of enjoying the beauty, visit the giant temple dining room of Guruk Lang. For a Sikh without a meal here, the pilgrimage is not complete. It will be simply interesting for you to see the largest dining room in the world, which can accommodate up to 6 thousand people. In addition, you will be fed deliciously and completely free of charge. However, on the territory of the Golden Temple, no one will ever ask you for money for anything. Those who wish to live here will be given a room, the hungry will be fed. This is the holy principle of Sikhism - help selflessly.
In the dining room you will be given a tray with five compartments, which will put boiled rice, dhal (mashed soup), lentil sauce, curry and lassi - sweet yogurt. In addition, you will receive chapati wheat cakes. The food is vegetarian but the portions are big. And if it's not enough, you can always ask for more. However, food vendors offer it themselves. There is, however, not very convenient: there are no tables or chairs. But the locals don't need them - they can sit cross-legged for hours. A European who is not accustomed to such a pose will quickly have numb legs. But it’s still not worth sitting here for a long time: thousands of people are waiting for their turn to have lunch. On average, up to 30 thousand people come here every day. On religious holidays - 2 times more. And the place works like clockwork.
In addition to the temple, you can visit the Sikh Museum, located nearby - any pilgrim will show the way. Collected paintings and objects material culture telling about the life of this proud people.
Sikhism - a life of conscience, love and honor
Sikhism - the main religion of the inhabitants of Punjab - originated in the 16th century at the junction of Hinduism and Islam, and took some features from both. However, in fact, this is a completely independent teaching, a kind of counterbalance to the beliefs of neighbors. So, in Islam, the Punjabis were not satisfied with the rejection of everything that did not fit into the canons of the Koran, and in Hinduism - a closed and cumbersome caste system. The basic principles of the new faith were outlined and written down by ten Gurus - the high priests of the Sikh religion. They are simple and understandable to everyone: all people of the world are equal, women are equal with men; speak and live honestly; curb the five vices - pride, anger, greed, lust, envy; show kindness, compassion and love for your neighbor. Sikhs consider all adherents of their faith to be one family. And each of them, wherever he is, has the right to count on the help of this family.
Sikhs believe in one God, who has many names, but no one knows the real one. If you ask a Sikh - who is Jesus, you will get the answer - God, Allah is God, Buddha is also God. They will never speak ill of any creed of another. The worship of one's deity in this religion can be expressed in only one way - by meditation.
The highest hierarchs of Sikhism bear the title of Guru - teacher. In total, there were 10 of them in the history of faith. And since 1708, the main Guru of Sikhism has been a book. The same Adi Granth that is kept in Amritsar. It contains the postulates voiced by the first church fathers. The shrine is treated like a person, the book has its own chambers, where they carry it to sleep at night, wake it up in the morning and wash it. Every Sikh temple has exact copy Adi Granth.
Before transferring his powers to the book, the last Guru created a military brotherhood of the Order of Khalsa within the Sikh community - to protect the faith, the book and the temple. A member of the order in life is obliged to sacredly adhere to the principle of five "K". Kesh - lifelong refusal to cut hair. Their Khals brothers wrap them together with the cloth in a turban. Kangha - obligatory wearing of a comb for styling hair: a Sikh must look neat. Kacha is the obligation to always wear underwear. In the heat there, this is a whim for many, but for a Sikh it is a matter of hygiene. Kirpan - the constant presence of a small dagger on the belt to protect the faith. Now it is rather a tradition, but if necessary, a member of the order with such a weapon can give a serious fight. Kara - wearing a bracelet on the wrist. Not gold, not silver, but steel, which anyone can buy. These five "K" apply to both male members of the order and women. However, such orthodox ladies are rare.
The Khalsa brothers are called kesa-dhari - "man with hair". The rest of the believers, who are not members of the Order, bear the name of Sahaj-dhari, "hairless", and are not much different from you and me. Although it is easy to recognize a Sikh: to the generic name, each man adds the word "Sinh" - a lion, and the woman "Kaur" - a lioness.
Such are they, the Sikhs - people of their word, honor and religion, tirelessly educating the Punjabi people in love and respect for their own kind and, more importantly, for those who are different from them.
friendly border
Arriving in Punjab, it is a sin not to visit a place called Wagah. Only there you can see the action called "Closing the border."
Here is the only border checkpoint between India and Pakistan. It is no secret that these states are not very friendly - rather, they are ready to argue and even fight for any reason. But they perfectly understand: in which case the world community will immediately intervene in the conflict. Therefore, at the only point of contact, the countries are strenuously demonstrating their mutual disposition to everyone.
Every evening at 4 p.m., a show begins at the border, which attracts residents of all the surroundings and tourists who are aware of this event. Several thousand excited people from the Indian side and several hundred from the Pakistani side gather in specially erected concrete stands. Tourists are searched and escorted straight to the border, to the VIP zone. You can see better there, and there are chairs instead of concrete benches. An hour before the start of the show, the speakers begin to “turn on” the crowd from the Indian side, shouting out patriotic slogans, chants, toasts in honor of future victories, which the crowd picks up. The most active participants in the action are given the right to run a hundred-meter race with the Indian flag to the white stripe separating the countries and wave it in front of the Pakistanis. Sometimes they run in a crowd, grabbing the flagpole. Once even an old grandmother in a sari entered the distance. And nothing, I did it.
On the Pakistani side, everything is somewhat more modest - they don’t run around with the flag. When both sides have already "warmed up" enough, the main part of the show begins - the military comes out. Soldiers on both sides of the border begin to march in front of each other, perform weapons exercises, and then simultaneously salute. Both "teams" operate absolutely synchronously: God forbid, someone will go astray - it's a shame. And even move and rearrange into mirror image, if not different shape, it would seem that they are rehearsing in front of a mirror.
Having seen this show from both sides, I can say that it is more professional than the Pakistani one, but the Indians empathize with the soldiers much more passionately. At the end of the action, the gates on both sides are tightly locked, and the soldiers stand with their backs to each other. The people disperse, and the tourists begin a photo session.
Getting to Wagah is easy - the place is located just 8 km from Amritsar. You will be taken by a taxi or rickshaw, but you can also walk. In addition, minibus drivers are on duty in front of the entrance to the territory of the Harmadir temple complex, inviting every incoming and outgoing tourist. Once there are 8 passengers, they will take you there and then take you back to Amritsar. In addition, as a group you will not get lost in the Indian crowd.
Leaving Punjab
You will remember Punjab for a long time - the cleanliness of the streets and hotels, cheerful and disinterested people who do not need anything from you, the incomparable Golden Temple, delicious food. Punjabi cuisine is the ancestor of Indian cuisine in general. But the latter has changed so much that only the original products have remained the same, but they are cooked differently. Punjabi dishes are less spicy and more familiar to us. Surprisingly, one of the most common local dishes is potatoes. However, the local residents, not only in terms of culinary preferences, but even outwardly, are more similar to Europeans than to Indians. Residents of neighboring areas are short, swarthy people with small features. Punjabis are stately, tall, handsome. And even their way of thinking and mentality in many ways resembles ours.
Many people, both simple and famous, have long sought to see these places. In 1891, Punjab was visited by the heir Russian throne, future emperor Nicholas II. He took away the memories of worthy people and a magnificent temple. Nicholas Roerich and Arkhip Kuindzhi liked to visit here. Many great people, speaking of amazing India, mean exactly Punjab. Rich not only in bright colors, but also in memorable events and places. Not depressing by poverty, but surprising by the dignity of modesty and moderation. Impressive demonstration of the amazing resilience and unity of people whose lives are based on an unshakable faith in God, in the equality and love for their neighbor given to them, and the main worldly judge is conscience.
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